The Criminal Team have published their Crime Bulletin April 2025. The bulletin was authored by Katie Walden.
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Overview
Keira Shaw joined Nine as a tenant in December 2024 having completed pupillage at another Manchester Chambers.
Keira has a fervent passion for criminal law, substantiated by her diverse practical experience. Keira spent a year volunteering with the Witness Care Team at Preston Crown Court, where she offered invaluable emotional and practical support to witnesses. Keira’s role involved liaising with legal professionals and court staff, supporting vulnerable witnesses whilst giving evidence at Court particularly those involved with cases of serious sexual assaults and rape.
Prior to the Bar, Keira worked as a paralegal for a leading criminal defence solicitors’ firm in the Northwest. Entrusted with her own Crown Court caseload Keira honed her skills in case preparation and client care. She also assisted senior partners with their caseloads and gained a wealth of experience dealing with cases of the utmost seriousness, including murder, large-scale drug conspiracies, s.18 & s.20 wounding, robberies, domestic violence and RASSO matters.
Criminal
Keira is a Level 2 prosecutor and is regularly instructed to prosecute serious matters for trial and sentence in the Crown Court.
She has developed a broad criminal practice both prosecuting and defending in a range of offences including offences of violence, domestic abuse, drugs, dishonesty offences, and driving offences. Keira also accepts instructions in and has experience defending cases involving dangerous dogs and dog destruction orders.
R v PM [2025] – Made a successful submission of no case to answer on behalf of a defendant who was accused of using his mobile phone whilst driving.
R v CS [2025] – secured a suspended sentence for her client who had pleaded guilty to one offence of supplying Class A drugs.
R v JR [2025] – secured a suspended sentence for her client who pleaded guilty to one offence of importing Class A drugs into the United Kingdom from Lisbon.
R v CD [2025] – In September 2025, Keira appeared in the Court of Appeal having been granted leave by the Single Judge to appeal her client’s sentence of 2 years imprisonment.
R v OH [2025] – Prosecuted a defendant who was charged with one offence of misconduct in public office. The defendant, who worked as an Operational Support Grade Officer at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire, had an inappropriate relationship with a serving prisoner whilst they were employed by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.
R v LH [2025] – represented one of three defendants charged with conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to steal.
R v DH [2025] – secured a suspended sentence for her client who pleaded guilty to s.4A Stalking and two counts of assault by beating.
R v MD – secured unanimous acquittal for her client charged with going equipped for theft and possession of a bladed article at Manchester Crown Court.
R v AR – secured unanimous acquittal for her client charged with assaulting a police officer at Burnley Crown Court.
R v LS [2024] – Secured a suspended sentence for a defendant convicted of s.20 GBH.
R v MD [2024] – Represented a defendant on a pro-bono basis whereby Lancashire Police were seeking the destruction of the defendants XL Bully dog. Keira was able to successfully oppose the Polices application and prevent the destruction of the defendants XL Bully.
R v GM [2024] – Keira represented the CPS in a two-day appeal against conviction at Preston Crown Court, whereby the defendant was seeking to overturn his conviction from the Magistrates Court and exclude parts of the crowns evidence by way of a s.78 PACE application. This case involved complex legal arguments on the police’s obligations when dealing with vulnerable suspects governed by Code C of PACE. Keira successfully opposed the application to exclude parts of the crowns evidence and following her robust cross-examination of the defendant, the conviction was upheld by the Crown Court.
R v D [2024] – Represented the CPS at sentence in the Crown Court for a case involving a defendant convicted by the Youth Court for an offence of robbery with the use of a manchette. Keira assisted the Court with its powers and addressed the sentencing guidelines that need to be considered when sentencing children and young people for offences that have been committed to the Crown Court as a grave crime.
R v LH [2024] – Successfully prosecuted a defendant at a trial in the Magistrates Court charged with s.39 assault by beating and threats with a bladed article in a private place.
Associations
Criminal Bar Association
Education
LLB (Hons), University of Law, Manchester
Bar Practice Course, University of Law
